Hornets win last minute against Fort Hays

In the first home win of the season, Emporia State football scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to end the game against Fort Hays State on Oct. 6. The final score was 28-24.

“When we won, everybody was jumping around. It was crazy,” said Tyree King, red shirt freshman wide receiver. “Everyone just rushed the field at the (end zone). The crowd came down and it was just an amazing feeling.”

At only 2:15 into the first quarter, Hays took 69 yards and gained the lead at 0-7. The score stayed there for the rest of the quarter. Hays took the ball down to the Hornets one-yard line until a fumble, according to ESU Athletics.

This would be the closest either team would get to a touchdown for the rest of the half.

At the third quarter Tyler Harris, senior wide reciever, received a pass from from Braxton Marstall, senior quarterback, for 72 yards. This would be the first Hornet touchdown tying the score, 7-7. Hays then made a 70-yard drive capped by a four-yard touchdown making the score 7-14.

Nearing the end of the third quarter, Hays scored one more touchdown putting the score 7-17. With 14:32 left in the game, Harris recieved a 54-yard pass from Cowan Dalton, freshman quarterback. This put the Hornets in the lead at 17-14.

At 8:06 Jordan Reed, senior wide receiver, caught a 10-yard pass from Marstall for another touchdown, making the score 21-17. Soon after, Hays received a 3 yard run changing the score 21-24. The Hornets were behind with 5 minutes remaining.

“The team battled back... and we kept fighting, despite setback during the first half,” said Derek Hahn, freshman long snapper.

With only 51 seconds left, the Hornets made a last-minute effort to score and Marstall passed the game winning ball to Reed. Hornets won with an ending score of 28-24.